Trench jack



Paten'ted Sept. 20, 1949 .f1-his inventin relates to." prvementin jerks'.for .use in tr enche s, ditches and similar excavajtions, forcribbingup .the wallsand ,preventing crumbling and collapse thereof.V .L

. The primary object of the invention istopro-- ...vide a. comparatively1- Simple. .and light-but Very Ystrong device which may be collapsed forinsertion into the trench and then .expanded to'bear outwardly onl thewalls-thereo f, or press. .c rlbbing boards to thewalls to prevent theircollapse.

'.Another object is `to provide a device of this kind which maybeloweredinto the trench from the ground surface and adjusted to placewithout j requiring that the workmen enter-the trench.

Thus.. all adjustments and installation being carried out from the sidef; A the trench where the workmen are safe;

vstili another object iste provide a device of this nature havingprovision forconventional Vextension in length according to the depth ofthe trench. l .Y f l These andother more detailed and specific 0brjectswillbe .disclosed vinthe courseofthe following specication, referencebeing khad vtothe .accompanying drawings, in which- A .faleigv -lis a.plan'vew of a sectionof trench cribbed andeprotected Vby two of the;units making .up rnyinvention. v Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical.Acrosssection through theA trenchand .cribbingx A iFig.. 3 a,.fragmentary hor1zontal sectional fview along the line.3-'3 in Fig. 2;

. Fig. 4 is a detail View of extension sections Afor the pull rod andsides of the trench-jack.` Referring now moreparticularly` and byreference characters to the drawing A designates genera1ly;a trench .jack of my invention (two of such being shown in Fig'. 1) andit includesa center'or hanger frame or supportingv` means comprisingfa channel Isupporting turret bars -I Ifwhichsangle upwardly Vand at their apex yI2v.forma vertical -bearing for an adjusting baror-pull rod I3.- Crossrods I4 also join theV flanges of thechannel I0 near their ends and thisassembly-:may be'conveniently'.fabricated-by welding the parts together.The pull rod I3, however, may turn in its bearing at the apex I2y andits upper end is threaded :to accommqdate vthe threadedV hub. Iof a`hand wheel l5 positioned abovel thesaid-apex .'.Applieat'ixiMay 12,194s, SiiaiNO. 26,551.Y

' raoiaims. (o1. 254-126) pins or cotter keys 20. At vertically spacedpoints 'the side bars It havelrigidly affixed, inwardly f .turne'dapertured`-ears 2 I to which are pivotedlat 4 22 thefouter ends'of.inwardly extending toggle .links 2 3. These links are also madeofchannels with the Webs cutaway andV extensions .applied thereto sothat lthefin'ner ends 24 of the'links may cross,v one cut-awayfshown at25 in Fig.y Bbeing of such width'as 'just to accommodatev the pull rodI3. These crossing inner ends 24 ofthe links are pivotally connectedtoeach other and tothe pull -rod by pins 26. A plurality of rrenii'igsyare provided in thelinks, as Aseenfat 21, for the pins .26'so that theeffective `length' Iof the toggle links,

and therefore thespreadof'tle side bars Imay be adjusted. 1 Rollers28Aare journaledbetween the up'per '.end'soffthe' flangesffof Vthesidebars I6 to roll againstthe underside ofthe channel I Il,

In use for temporarily 'snoring or cribbingV a trench such as shown at'Bthe trench jacks A are spaced along the length of the trench as may berequired andwith the sidebars I6 pulled inward and `spaced from theYtrench sides roornis 4providedI by which cribbing boards C may bedropped down at each. side. These boards come 'to rest.

on-and aresupportedfbyfstop.pins 28 extending loutwardlyfrom the sidebarsnfearthe lower ends. .'I'he hand wheels I5 are z now turned vto pullthe pull rod I3 kupwardly-.and l t l'i i s .niotionftends.to

straighten out thetoggle vli'nl'; s.23,. with the result v that theside.. bars Ilfare thrust outwardly and Vpowerfully against the sides .of the trench forcing the` boards O tightly thereagainst. When thecribbing isto be removed the hand wheels are, ofV course, .turned`'oppositely `to pull. in the side bars .as willbe readily understood.

It will be noted that the jacks may be yand lowered into or removed fromthe trench by lworkmen standing alongside the trench,` .the

rods lserving asconvenientfhandles in the process. Thus it isnotnecessaryfor the men to enter the j trer 1 chiv wherey they maybeexposed to the dangers of cave-ins, asis the .ca se'now in installe Ving:presentday trench jacks.

.Each trench jack preferably consists of a .com vparativelyv short basicunit such as shown in Fig. 2

andfordeepertrenches provision is made for .the additionof sections ISaandjldtogthe pull-red -I 3 and side .barsl 6 asmay be. required. Forthis purpose the lower bracket ears 2I have also de:- pendingiaperturedlugs 13D-'to which theLupper apertured ends of theisections Ia maybepinned while ,the addedsections [3a of the.p11ll. rod may ;be'atta'chedby. the pins 26.17.0bviously', the extra 4sections.willfhavetoggle links 23 are'required and ai jack- Iof;- any .necessary lengthmay. be .quickly set up in this fashion.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come Within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fullyillustrated and described my 1inventicn, what I claim to be new and'desire "to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A jack of the character described for bracing apart the sides of anexcavation, comprsinghlde members and togglemeans for moving theV sidemembers apart and toward'thesidesof the'tfreriel'n and supporting meansand operating means lorf.

the side members and toggle means, said supporting means being adaptedto span thefsifdeslof the excavation.

2. A jack of the character described 'orbrac'ing apart the sides of anexcavation, comprising side 4members and toggle means 'for moving theside members apart and 'toward'the sides of the trench, and lsupportingmeans and operating `means "for the side members and toggle means, said"support- 'ing means being radapted *to vspan 'the sides of the`excavation and having handles `by `which the jack maybe rlowered into'and removed from the 'excavation from `the top sides thereof;

"3. Afjack of the character V'described for braclng apart lthe sides of`an excavation, comprising side members andtoggle means for moving thevside vmembers apart and toward the sides of the trench, and asupportingmemberadaptedto span the sides `of Vthe 'excavation andsupport the side `members inthe excavation Vas they are adjustedtherein. 1 f

fl. Ajack of the character described for *bracing apart the sides of anexcavation, comprising side members and toggle means for moving Vtheside members apart and toward the sides ofthe trench, and-a supportinglmember adapted to span the ysides of an excavation `and support theside vvmembers inthe excavation as they `are adjusted'thereinandihandles-at theends of Ithe supporting ymember :for-manipulationoftne jack by workmen `stationed alongside the excavation.`

l5. In a trench iackof lthe character-described, Y

a 'supporting channel having an elongated slot, 'side 'bars dependingbelow the channel and hav- `-ing `meansextending upwardly through andslidably and supportably engaging the'edges ofthe slot, and toggle`mechanism for moving A'the side bars toward and `away from eachother.46. ln a trench jack of lthe character described, :a supporting channelhaving an elongated slot, side -bars depending below the channel andhaving means extendingupwardly through and slidably and -supportablyengaging the edges of the islet, toggle mechanism'for moving the sidebars Ytoward and away from V'each other, androllers on Ythe upperends-ofthe *side 'bars for upwardly engaging'the undersideof thechannel. A

na trench jack of the `v'characterdescribelil, 'a supporting channelhaving an el'ongatedslot,

side bars depending below the channel and havslots, and toggle mechanismconnecting the side bars and operative to move them toward and away"from each-otherg'said toggle mechanism comprising a pull rod dependingdown through'the channel between the side bars, toggle links pivoted atopposite ends to theside bars and the pull rod, and. a hand wheelthreaded on the upper end of the pull rod and operative to move itaxially for actuating the toggle links.

5'9. In-a trench jack of the character described, a Supporting channelhaving an elongated slot, sidebar-@depending below the channel andhaving pins kat their upper ends slidably extending up 'through'theslot, washers held on the upper ends of the pins and overlying themargins of the slots,

Vand tegglemeehanism connecting the sidefbars vaway v#from eachother,toggle mechanism ineluding toggle 'links and-la pull rod for soadjusting the side bars, and :extra `sections for -sus'pension andconnection from the side bars and -pullrod vfor increasingthe=`length-of the jack according to `the-depth fof the trench. 1

1,1. In a trench jack of the character described, upright side f-bars,`niechal'ii'sm for spreading V-the 4bars against-thefsides of atreneh-,.means;operatve to span the '.ftren'ehfand suspend the 5ba-rstherein, and said spreading mechanism includingamantially-operativezmember positioned above the level of the trenchsides 'when-Stile jack `is suspended in the trench.

Y 12. In a trench ack .having .members for engaging the .sides orf Vthetrench and emechanism for :spreading fthe members .against the trenchsides, the improvement which consists in `asupporting member-fr lthejack which `is operative to span the upper ledges of 'the trench andsus-:pend :the jack therein, and ameinber for operating said spreadingmechanism .so located on :the

'Jack `that it .maybe reached .from zthe yupper VVedges :spreading thelmembers .against the trench sides,

.the :improvement iwhich Vconsists in a .supporting V:member-fior the.iack which is operative to span vthe vfupper edges `of :the .trench and:suspend .the Ajack therein', and `a ehand i Wheel foperatively-connected to saidispreadingmechanism and :located Dn Y said:Supportingfmember for foperation from alongside the .trenchi JERRY .J.RAVERS, .J n.

FREFERENOES 4CITED The following references are of record in the iiletof this patent:

UNITED .STATES PAfIENTS Nmnber .Name` Date 500,757 l(Toit-etal. remmhJuly 4, '1893 v909,808 .Laughterback is Jan. 11.2, IQUQ :7o lfigc-38,859 Knowles Aug. 16, -192'? 1;640A11 .Jackson sereine- Aug. 30,11927

